Evaporating apparatus



' (No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' A. MILLER,

EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

No. 466,570. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

m5 wows PETERS cm, FHOTO-LXTNG, WASHKNGTON, u. c.

(No Model.)

3 Sh etsSheet 3.

A. MILLER EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

. Patehted-Jan. 5, 1892.

m: nonms Pz'rins cm, FHOTIPLITNQ, wAsnmsYau, n. n.

UNITED "STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MILLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BROl/VN & MILLER, OFJERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.'

EVAPORATlN G' APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 466,570, dated January5, 1892. Application filed fieptember 19, 1890- Berial No. 365,466- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER IVIILLER, of the city of New York, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Evaporating Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in evaporating apparatus, andmore particu larly to that part of a salt-evaporating apparatus whichreceives the salt in a wet or damp state from the elevator leading fromthe evaporating-pan, the object being to form a simple and effectiveapparatus for draining the liquid from the salt delivered into the receiver and returning the liquid to the evapcrating-pan.

A furtherobject is to provide for the ready removal of the drained saltto a suitable storage-bin.

A practical embodiment of myinvention is represented in the accompanyingdrawings, in whicha Figure 1 represents a vertical section of thedraining and liquid-returning apparatus in connection with a vacuum-panand elevator, the pan and elevator being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2is a vertical section from side to side through the draining-tanks,looking toward the elevator. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the drainingapparatus, showing aportion of the elevator-leg in horizontal section.Fig. 4 is a vertical section from front to rear through a drainingapparatus in which the draining-tanks are represented as stationary,showing a portion of the elevatorboot and funnel-receiver in sideelevation and Fig. 5 represents a top plan view of the form of apparatusshown in Fig. 4, the elevator-leg be ing shown in horizontal section.

A represents a vacuum-pan provided with a discharge-conduit B,communicating with the lower end thereof and extending obliquelyupwardly at one side thereof, the said 0011- duit beingformed in twolegs I) for the reception of the upwardly and downwardly moving parts ofan endless elevator, here represented in dotted lines. Thevacuum-pan andelevator herein shown are of the same general structure as fullyshownand described in my application, Serial No. 280,499, now Patent No.428,281, of May 20, 1890, in which the surface of the column of liquidin the legs of the elevator-conduit is held below the surface of theliquid in the vacuum-pan becauseof the partial vacuum formed insaid panabove the surface of the liquid therein. At a convenient distance belowthe upper end of the elevator, where the salt carried up from the bottomof the vacuum-pan'is discharged, a platform 0 is located, which forms asupport for one or more drainage-tanks D. In the present instance I haveshown three such tanks D arranged side by side, and this number I findconvenient in practice.

In the form shown in Fig. l the tanks D are supported upon wheels E,suitably journaled in legs d, so that one of the series of tanks may becaused to travel along the platform C to a point where it ,is desired todeposit the load of salt therein contained, While in Figs. 4 and 5 Ihave shown the series of tanks in the form'of stationary sections D. Inboth formsthe stationary and the m0v ablethe tanks are provided withbottoms formed by strips 01, of wood or other suit able material, placededge to edge and having a downward slant, as shown. The strips 01' areintended to, be laid in close proximity to each other, but not so nearas to form a liquid-tight joint. In the form shown in Fig. l the bottomis formed in two sections, preferably of about the same width and hingedat their upper edges to the sides of the tank at (1 their lower edgesmeeting about centrally of the tank, the sections being provided withany well-known or suitable fastening for securing them in their closedpositions.

In the form shown in Figs'.4 and 5 the bottom extends from one side ofthe tank tothe opposite side and is permanently secured in its position,the lower portion of the sideof the tank adjacent to the lower edge ofthe bottom being hinged to the side, as shown at 01 so that the portion61 of the side of the tank may be swung outwardly to allow the drainedsalt to slide out of the tank intoa suitable carriage (not shown) forthe purpose of transferring it to a storage-bin. The swinging door (1 isheld in its closed position by any well-known or suitable fastening.Underneath the bottom and spaced therefrom I provide shields F for thepurpose of conducting anyliquid which may find its way through betweenthe strips (1 of the bottom along down toward the lower edge of thebottom. In the form of my device shown in Fig. 1 the shields F aresecured to the swinging bottom sections conveniently by posts f, whilein the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the said shield is permanently fixedin its position. Underneath the lower ends of the bottom and located ina position to receive the liquid from the lower ends of the shields F atrough G is located, the said trough extending along underneath theentire series of tanks and being so inclined as to conduct the liquidthat may fall therein toward a single orifice g, formed in the trough.In the present instance I have shown the trough downwardly inclined fromits opposite ends toward the middle portion, at which point thedischarge-orifice g is located.

In the .form shown in Fig. 1 the trough is located with its upper edgefiush with the platform on which the tanks travel, while in the formshown in Fig. 4L the said trough may be located above or below thefloor, as found convenient. From beneath the disehargeorifice g anothertrough ll leads with a suitable incline to an inlet-pipe 1, connectedwith the leg Z), down which the elevator travels. The inlet-pipe I ispreferably provided with a funnel-shaped mouth i, located under thedischarge end of the trough H, and the said inlet-pipe is furtherprovided with a stop-cock K for the purpose of closing the saidinlet-pipe to prevent the escape of liquid therefrom when for anypurpose the vacuum in the pan A shall have been removed. \Vhen inoperation, it is intended that the inlet-pipe I shall remain open.

For the purpose of insuring the ready discharge of the drained salt fromthe tank D, I prefer to provide the said tank with its side walls (1slightly flaring, as they extend downwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The operation may be briefly described as follows: The discharge fromthe top of the elevator-conduit is directed into one of the tanks D ortank-sections D, and when a sufficient load has been accumulated in saidtank or tank-section the discharge is then diverted into another of thetanks or tanksections D or D, and the salt deposited in the first tankis allowed to drain. So, again,when a sufficient load has beenaccumulated in the second tank-section the discharge is diverted intothe third and the salt in the second allowed to drain, and so on. Thenumber of tanks employed will naturally depend upon the time requiredfor draining thoroughly the salt deposited into the first anddischarging the salt from that tank, ready to receive a new load. Whilethe salt is being deposited in the second or third tank, the salt in thetank in which it was first deposited having now become thoroughlydrained, the said tank may be wheeled away and its load discharged (or,in case of the stationary tank, its load may be discharged into asuitable carriage) and the tank then returned into position to againreceive a load from the elevator. The drainage of the salt deposited inthe tanks goes on continuously, the liquid drained therefrom, and, ofcourse, heavily laden with salt, being directed into the troughs G H,and thence into the inlet pipe I, and thence into the vacuum-pan,thereby saving in this simple manner the entire amount of salt suspendedin the liquid which drains from the tank.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In evaporating apparatus, the combination, 'with an evaporating-panand means for discharging the substance treated, of a series of separatedrainage-receptacles arranged in position to receive successively thedischarged substance, and conduits leading from the drainage-receptacleto a pipe in communication with the evaporating-pan, substantially asspecified.

2. In evaporating apparatus, the combination, with an evaporating-panand a series of independently-movable drainage-receptacles, of a troughlocated beneath the receptacles to receive the drainage therefrom, andacon duit leading from the trough to the evaporating-pan, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination, with the evaporatingpan and its dischargingmechanism, of a drainage-tank free to move into and out of position toreceive its load, and means for returning the liquor from the movabledrainage-tank to the evaporating-pan, substantially as set forth.

4. In evaporating apparatus, the combination, with a drainage-tankprovided with a slanting bottom formed of strips of material placed edgeto edge so as to admit of the escape of liquid between them, of aconduit leading from the lower edge of the slanting bottom forconducting the drainage away, substantially as set forth.

5. In evaporating apparatus, the combination, with a drainage-tankprovided with a slanting bottom formed of strips of material placed edgeto edge so as to admit of the escape of liquid between them, of a shieldspaced from the bottom in position to conduct the liquid escapingtherefrom toward the lower edge of the bottom, and a conduit forconducting the liquid away from below the lower edge of the shield andbottom, substantially as set forth.

6. In evaporating apparatus, a drainagetank provided with a slantingbottom formed of two sections hinged at their upper edges to the sidesof the tank and adapted to meet at their lower edges, the said bottomsections being composed of slat-sspaced apart, and the to one side toallow the load to drop, subsaid tanklloeing further provided withsupstantially set forth. porting-w eels, substantially as set forth.

7. Inevaporating apparatus, a drainage- ALEXANDER MILLER 5 tank havingits opposite sides set outwardly Witnesses:

flaring as they extend downwardly, and its FREDK. HAYNES, bottom formedslanting and arranged to swing K. E. PEMBLETON.

